How racim affects me
An essay on different aspects of racism. By Shreya Khatau Race, in the sense of being relevant to racism, refers to a human group that defines itself or is defined by others as culturally different by virtue of innate and immutable physical characteristics. Thus, under racism, a race is defined socially but on the basis of physical characteristics. Such physical characteristics have no inherent significance, but only such significance as is socially attributed to them in a given society. If a group in a given society is defined in terms of its skin colour, its hair texture, its facial features, its body build and so on, then it is a 'race', in racist terms. Presumably, if a group were socially defined in terms of sharing a common language, a common set of religious beliefs or some other cultural characteristics - without physical considerations - then it would be an 'ethnic group'. In the case of both race and ethnic group, the defining criterion is relative to a given society, and the same person or group may be differently defined in different societies. Thus a black North American may be a 'Negro' in his own country but a 'Yankee' in Mexico. The first label is racial, the second ethni
It can be favourable or unfavourable and can develop in a person through suggestion, belief, or emulation. Racially prejudiced persons living in highly prejudiced societies can behave 'normally' in situations not involving race; yet racism, by erecting an irrelevant and artificial barrier between people, strains relations and distorts social perceptions in the dominant group. Although it is important to distinguish between the psychological and social aspects of racism - that is, between discrimination and prejudice - it is equally essential to understand that the two are inextricably related. Acute racial conflicts, however, can also exist between groups that are culturally nearly identical - as between white and black Americans. Presumably, the distinction is that in ethnocentrism, the alleged inferiority, disabilities and negative traits of the 'out' group are thought to be culturally determined (and only culturally determined), whereas in racism there is a belief that the disabilities are inborn. Thus, in societies in which racial discrimination is the norm, as in South Africa, even persons who show authoritarianism will typically be prejudice. Ethnocentrism and racism are not mutually exclusive, of course: racist societies are almost invariably ethnocentric as well; people often feel superior to others on both racial and cultural grounds. Under slavery, great numbers of American blacks, for instance, were psychologically conditioned to consider themselves inherently inferior. Each is a cause of the other, and this vicious circle is often difficult to break. This is the phenomenon of self-hatred found, for example, in cases of Jewish anti-Semitism or in the acceptance by blacks of white aesthetic criteria of having straight hair or a light skin. The 18th century was predominantly environmentalist in its outlook. The science of that day tended to attribute social behavior either to climatic of geographic environment or to socio-cultural factors. Hostility toward the dominant group may take many forms, ranging form non-violent passive resistance to apolitical crime and politically inspired guerrilla warfare. Social scientists have stressed a number of social variables that may be causally linked with prejudice and discrimination. Prejudice is a psychological phenomenon; it is defined as an attitude, usually emotional, acquired without, or prior to, adequate evidence or experience.
Common topics in this essay:
North American,
South Africa,
Racial Discrimination,
Khatau Race,
History Racism,
United Australia,
racial discrimination,
Racism Effects,
discrimination prejudice,
physical characteristics,
racial prejudice,
race ethnic,
south africa,
racism ethnocentrism,
situations extreme degradation,
effects racism,
distinguish psychological social,
psychologically racism,
characteristics physical,
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